Freezer



C. F. HOWELL.

FREEZER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1918.

1 3?"6,U 1 6 Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.7 Y 4 .v UZW/V c. F. HOWELL.

FREEZER. I I APPLICATION FILED .IULY 29,1918.

1 3?,0l6, at nted Apr. 26, 1921...

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. J6 .542 f l STATES PA'FENT OFFICE.

A CLAUDE r. HOWELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assrenon, IBY MEsNEASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

CONTINENTAL MACHINERY COMPANY, A coRronA'rIoN- or DELAWARE.

FREEZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed July 29, 1918. Serial No. 247,144.

I To all whom it may comer n:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE F. HowELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have in-' ventedcertain new and useful Improve ments in Freezers; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to .the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part .ofthisspecification.

' This invention relates to improvements in freezers for ice cream andthe like and consists of the matters hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the I appended claims.

The object of the invention is to produce 1 an efiicient, large capacityfreezer such as is used in ice cream factories, for the pre-' liminarymixing, swelling and freezing of the cream mixture or the like, whereinthe freezer is constructed to provide a jacket space closely adjacentand surrounding the mixing and freezing chamber thereof, which jacketspace may be connected to the expansion and'return lines of arefrigerating apparatus, so that a circulation of the re-. frigerant anda direct expansion thereof may be had through said jacket space aboutthe mixing and freezingchamber.

A further object of the inventionis to construct the freezer so that thecirculation of the refrigerant may be controlled through saidjacket-space and may be 'entirelycut' ofl therefrom so that in the caseof. abattery or a set of such freezers, one individual freezer ma be cutout of the refrigerating system wit out affecting the other freezers inthat particular battery or set.

Further objects of the invention are to provide suitable means fordraining said jacket. space when desired and to so construct the freezeras to insure against a leakage of the refrigerantbeing used, either intothe mixing chamber or into the surrounding atmosphere.

Inv the drawings 'Figure 1 illustrates ailongitudinahivertical-sectionalview through a freezer embodyl ing my'invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a transverse, vertical sectional view through thesame on a slightly enlarged scale, the plane of the sec-.

, 16 providing tubularmember 7 and extendin rear head'plate to the fronte tion being indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates another transverse, vertical sectional View throughthe same, the plane of the section being indicated bythe llne 3+3 ofFig. 1. a

Referring now to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying draw1ngs:5 indicates as a whole, a substantiallyhorizontal, insulated and jacketed cylinder which rests and is supportedupon the top end of an upright hollow column 6'. Preferably the frontend of said cylinder overhangs said column to a greater extent thantherear end of the cylinder, as shown. The bottom end of said column 6has an outwardly extending, floor'flange 6 which provides a base ofsubstantially large area while the top end of said column has atranstubular members 7 and-S-are closed by and ,are secured in asuitable 4 manner,to a head plate 12 that ha's'a. rearwardly extendinghub13 of asubstantial diameter. The front end of the outer tubularmember 8 has secured to it, a radiall arranged, spacing ring 14 and tothe front ace of said ring is fixed a second ring 15 that has an annularflange a seat for a removably attached, front headv plate- 17. Withinthe from the ge ofv the flanged ring :15 is a linin 18 of non-rustablemetal which is attached seams, inany suitable manner. This lining,

together with the front" head plate 17, de-

fines a mixing and freezing chamber 19. A

in place without thin metallic, outer Sh m-20,- which is fixed at itsfront end -t o' the peripheries of the rings '14'and- 15, inclosesthe-tubular memhers 7 and 8 and therrear head plate- 12, saidshellhaving a suitable rearend Wall through which the hub 13 of the headplate 12 extends. The space between the said shell 20 and the outer,tubular member 8 and head, plate 12, is packed with a suitable heatinsulation material 20 such as cork.

Connected to the jacket space 11, at its middle on one side (see Fig. 2)is a pipe 21 in which is provided a shut-off valve 21 and leading offfrom said jacket space 11 at its top is a second pipe 22 in which isprovided a shut-ofi valve 22 and a pressure gage 22 The pipe 21 is theinlet for a refrigerant to the jacket space 11, and is adapted to beconnected up with the liquid receiver of a refrigerating apparatus,while the pipe 22 is the outlet for the refrigerant The front head plate17 comprises an in-' tegral casting, formed coaxially of the cylinder 5to provide an inwardly extending bearing sleeve 17, and above and belowsaid sleeve are hollow bosses 23 and 24 which define an upwardly openinginlet 23 and a forwardly openlng discharge 24* respec tively, into andfrom the mixing and freezing chamber 19. The discharge opening 24 isclosed by a sliding door 25 that is connected by a link 26 with anoperating lever 27 that is pivoted atone end to the hollow boss 23.Butterfly nuts 25 are provided to seal the door in its closed ositionand the head plate 17 is formed wit a Ii 28 just below the dischargeopening 24 w ich provides a suitable spout. The inlet opening 23 isclosed by a horizontally swinging door 29.

- Mounted on top of and securely aflixed to the cylinder 5 in front ofthe pipe 22 and overhanging the front head plate 17, is a hopper 30.This hopper which is in the form of an open top, integral, substantiallyrectangular container for the reception of the materials to be mixed andfrozen, has a sight glass 31 at its front end through which the heightof said materials may be observed.

Said hopper has a depending, annular flange 32 at its front end, inwhich is located a tubular sleeve 33 that defines a discharge opening 1nvertical alinement with the in.

let opening 23" in the head plate 17. The top end of the tubular sleeve33 is tapered upwardly and outwardly to form a valve seat for a tubular,elongated valve 34, there being a suitable hole 35 in said valve 34which is adapted to register with a like hole in the top end of thesleeve 33. At the top end of said tubular valve is provided an auxiliaryhopper 36 for the reception of semi-solids such as crushed fruits whichit may be desired to admit into the mixing and freezing chamber 19. Ahandle 37 is fixed to the tubular valve 34 just below the hopper 36 forthe purpose of rotating the valve 34to bring the hole 35 in said valveinto and out of register with the like hole in the sleeve 33. j j

40 indicates as a whole, an agitator shaft which is arranged coaxiallyof the cylinder 5. Said shaft comprises two sections 40 and 40 which arerotatively connected together by a tongue and groove connection .40, andthis tongue and groove connection head plate 12. The open top of thegear box 41 is closed by a hemispherical cap 42.

44 indicates as a whole, a mixer and scraperwithin the chamber .19. Saidmixer and scraper includes front and rear spiders 45 and 46 which haveradial arms that are arranged in pairs extending at about 90 to eachother and the associated arms of the front and rear spiders areconnected by spiral mixing blades 47 and longitudinally arranged scraperblades 48 all of whic approximately engage the lining 18 (see Fig.

The front spider has a hub that is rotatively mounted on that part ofthe reduced end 40 of the shaft sectlon 40 adjacent the driven inopposite directions by a bevel gear 53 fixed on a laterally extendingshaft 54 that is journaled at one end in a side wall of the gear caseand at its other end in a bearing sleeve 55 made integral withthe topendof an L-shaped hollow arm 56 secured to the bottom of said gear case(see Fig. 3).

A sprocket 57, fixed on the shaft 54 is driven by a silent chain 58 froma smaller sprocket 59 on the armature shaft of a motor 60, mounted on asuitable base on the top rear 30 operated to bring the hole 35 in thevalve 34 into registering position with the like hole and the scrapingand mixing blades will end of the cylinder 5. A suitable guard 61incloses and protects the chain 58. Suitable journal sleeves areprovided in the bearings for the shaft section 40 and the shaft 54,

as well as suitable oil feeding rings, and

'thereis a stuffing box 62 associated with the -container' 30.The'electric motor is then started and operates to drive the shaft 54which in turn will drive thegears 51 and 52 and their shaft and sleeve40 and 49 re spectively, in opposite directions. The shaft section 40""will then rotate in one direction rotate in the opposite direction. Thevalves 21 and 22*; in the pipe lines 21 and 22 respectively,'which areconnected up to the refrigerating apparatus as before described,

are opened to establish a circulation of the refrigerant through thejacket space 11.

The door closure 29 for the inlet to the chamber 19, is now opened, thedoor 25 being kept closed. The handle 37 is next in the sleeve 33. Themixture in the con- 36 on the top end 'ofthe tubular valve'34.

tainer will then flow through the sleeve 33 to be discharged into theinlet opening 23 in the hollow boss 23, which will direct the mixtureinto the mixing chamber 19.

With the shaft section 40 rotating in one direction and the scraper andmixer 44 rotating in the opposite direction, the mixture now within thecompartment 19 will be churned and at the same time will be frozen tothe desired consistency, which is a semifluid state. During theagitationor churning in the chamber 19, the material will swell andbe'cooled to the proper degree.

.The butterfi nuts 25 are now loosened and the lever 2 is actuated toopen the door 25 when the swelled, -frozen mixture will flow out throughthe opening 24 by reason of the inclination of the cylinder and will bedirected into a can provided therefor beneath the spout 28. fThis canwhich 'revceives the partially frozen and mixed ma-' terial, isthenplaced in a suitable container to be frozen to the desired,substantially hard consistency.

Should crushed fruit or the like into the mixing fruit may be placed inthe auxiliary hopper to flow down the saidgyalve 'itlirough the also thesaid agitator shaft section it be desired to introduce a @centricallyarranged, spaced, tubular memand freezing chamber 19, to be mixedandfrozen with the other material already in said chamber, such quantity ofcrushedsleeve 33 and into the inlet opening 23 leading into themixingand freezing chamber. Thus, the material in said chamber 19,together with the crushed fruit, will be thoroughly mixed as they arebeing frozen.

In this manner, the semi-solids such as crushed fruit need not be placedin the con tainer 30 and therefore there is no danger of the fruitcurdling the cream mixture before it has been thoroughly mixed andfrozen to the proper consistency.

- When it is desired to clean out the compartment 19, the head plate 17may be re-' moved from the flanged ring 16 the shaft section 40 together;,W1th the mixer and scraper 44 may be withdrawn through the open end ofthe cylinder 5 to permit of thorough cleaning of the chamber 19 and andsaid mixer and scraper blades.

The container 30, may be washed or flushed out and the tubular valve '34removed from the sleeve 33 for the purpose of a thorough cleaning ofsaid container. After the parts have been thus cleaned, the valve 34 isagain replaced in the tubular sleeve 33,'the shaft sections 40 and thescraper and. mixer blades replaced, after which the header 17 is securedto the flanged ring 16. When it is desired to-drain the jacket space 11,this may be done through the pipe 11 and its valve 11 My improvedfreezing machine has many advantages. A refrigerating medium iscirculated through the jacket space 11, as has been described, toreadily and quickly cool the interior chamber 19. By the pipingarrangement shown and described, any one mixer and freezer of a batteryor set, may becut out of said battery or set without disturbing theoperation of the others or of the refrigerating apparatus, to which theyare connected.

The freezer is so constructed as to be easily taken apart for thepurpose of cleaning, and it is therefore sanitary. Crushed fruits orother solids or semi-solids may be mtroducedinto the mixing and freezingchamber without impairing the cream mixture.

While in describing my invention, I have referred to certain detalls ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, it-is to beunderstoodthatftheinvention is in no way limted thereto, except as maybepointedout 1n the appended claims.

I cla m as my invention:

LA freezer comprising a pair of conf hers, rings between the ends ofsaid mem- "bers. for holding'them in; spaced-relation,

face of said rear head plate and the rear end of the buter tubularmember overlapping and being secured to the periphery of 'said rear headplate, the front ends of both of said tubular members engaging the faceof said front ring plate, a front head plate secured to said ring plateand defining with said rear head plate and tubular members, a freezingchamber, the front head plate having inlet and outlet openings for saidfreezing chamber, an agitating means in said freezing chamber, journaledin said hub and in said front head plate, respectively, and means forconnecting said jacket space with the supply and return line of a liquidrefrigerant supply.

2. A freezer comprising a pair of concentrically arranged, spaced,tubular members, rings between the ends of said members for holding themin spaced relation, said tubular members and rings providing a jacketspace, a rear head plate including a-hub, a front ring plate, the rearend of said inner tubular member engaging the face of said rear headplate and the rear end of the outer tubular member overlapping and beingsecured to the periphery of said rear head plate, the front ends of bothof said tubular members engaging. the face of said front ring plate, afront head plate secured to said ring plate and defining with said rearhead plate and tubular members,

a freezing chamber, a seamless sheet metal lining for said chamber, thefront plate havng inlet and outlet openings for said mixing chamber, anagitating means in said freezing chamber, journaled in said hub.

flange, the ends of said tubular members en- 1 gaging said rear headplate and said front ring plate respectively, a front head plate havingan inlet and an outlet opening, said tubular members and front and rearhead plates defining a mixing chamber, agitating means in said chamber,.journaled in the hub of said rear head plate and said front head platerespectively, an outer shell spaced from and inclosing said rear headplate and said tubular members, said shell being fixed to the hub ofsaid rear head plate and the annular flange of said front ring plate,insulation between said shell and said rear head plate and tubularmembers, and means connecting the jacket space with the supply andreturn line of a refrigerating apparatus.

Intestimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix mysignature in the presence of twowitnesses, this 1st day of June, A. D.1918.

CLAUDE F. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

D. M. CAMERON, W. B. LATHRQP.

